Vacuum carpet-cleaner.



W. H. HALL.

VACUUM CARPET CLEANER. APPLICATION FILED ABLE, 1912.

1,077,603. Ptented Nov. 4, 1913.

- TED stra ns. PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. .H-ALI], 0F CICERO, ILLIN 01s.,

VACUUM GARPET-CLEANER.

. Specification of letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4., 1913.

Application filed April-2', 1912. Serial No. 688.093.

emptied and easily manipulated vacuum.

carpet cleaner, particularly adapted for househeld use.

In one practical embodiment of my invention the vacuum producing device, pref erably of the bellows type, is carried by a bellows base hinged to the body of the machine and a one-piece dust-pan and nozzle combined. A detachable yielding connection with the body is removably mounted adjacent the vacuum device, the air chamber of the machine being formed by an airtight connection between the bellowsbase and the one-piece dust-pan and nozzle, the

dust-pan itself providing the side and hottom'walls and the bellows base the top wall of said air chamber. The bellows base is .adaptedto swin back on its hinges to pen mit the free and easy removal of the comined dust-pan and nozzle for the purpose of cleansing, while "the machine remains standing in its normal position on the floor.

The novel construction of the dust-pan and nozzle and its yielding connection with the machine permits the main'body of the machine to rest entirely on wheels, thus insuring a light running machine, and the '='----novel summer of creatm the air chamber elimiha tesclose fitting air-tight joints betweenha'td rigid substances liable to injury and consequent leakage, and also obviates the necessity of disconnecting such joints and the consequent disagreeable disturbance of the dust when emptying the machine.

The integrally constructed dust-pan and nozzle may accordingly be removed from the machine and the dust accumulated on the nozzle as well as that in the pan may be car'- ried to a suitable place and deposited with out'scattering itover the floor,

Referring to the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention:-Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the machine as it stands on the floor, provided with the usual forked handle for its operation Fig. 2 is a rear view'with. the rear wall of? the bellows chamber removed; Fig

3 is aside elevation with the near-side walls removed. In this figure the dotted diagram shows the position of the bellows chamber when thrown back for the purpose of removing the dust-pan;.Fig. 4. is a front view of the machine with the front wall removed and with the bellows chamber thrown back in the position indicated in Fig. 3; Fig. 5

is a plan view of the dust-pan showing a flange of leather or other air tight yielding material attached to the top edge of the pan, by means of which a yielding air-tight conne'ct1on is made between the dust-pan and the body of the machine, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail of a yielding lock or holder for holding the bellows chamber in air-tight connection with the leather flange around the top of the dust-pan.

. On the drawings A B 0 indicate the bellows chamber in which two bellows G G are mounted. These bellows are operated by crank and .pitman connections D and Dse'e Fig. 2. The cranks are rigidly mounted on the shaft E and on this shaft the drive wheel F is rigidly mounted. As will be seen in Figs. 1 and 3 the rear end of the machine rests entirely on this wheel, and in order to give it a considerable circumference and driving power it is extended upward between the bellows, G and G.

Mounted on the under side of the bellows chamber, at the rear end, are two brackets H and H. See Figs. 2 and 3. These brackets are hung in line andthe shaft E passes through them-see Fig. 2-and they are the hinges on which the bellows chamber swings back as shown in Fig. 3.

The body of the machine, aside from the bellows chamber, is a box-like frame, one side wall of which is indicated by the letter I, Fig. .1. On the rear end of this boxframe, or body, are mounted two brackets J and J. See Figs. 1 and 2. The shaft E passes through these and supports the rear end of the machine. The front end of the machine is supported on two smaller wheels K and K, see Figs. 1, 3 and 4. The sides of this body are held together by the frontwall Land two cross pieces or partitions L and L--see Fi 3. .The partition Lis set far enough baci to form a frame or compartment for holding thedust-panand nozzle M and M respectively. This pan and nozzle are made inhone piece, either integral construction or rigtdlyconnected arts, the

lower portion of the Iront wall 0 the. body .lowered into the compartment these of the machine bein cut away to allow the nozzle M to extend out slightly in front of the machine. It will be evident by reference to Fig. 3 that when the bellows chamber A B O is thrown back in the position shown by the dotted lines in this view, the top of the compartment holding the dustpan willbe entirely open and the pan and nozzle may be freely lifted out without jarring. or disturbing the dust. It will also be observed that the machine will be left standing in its natural positionon the floor, and that no tight fitting joints have been disconnected or other. members removed, in order to get the dust-pan out.

The dust-pan isconnected with the machine and the air chamber is formed inlthe following manner: The compartment for the dust-pan M is preferably somewhat larger than the pan, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3. The top of the dust-pan has secured thereto a peripheral flange of leather or other suitable air-tight yielding material, preferably cute little larger than the inside measurement of the compartment provided for the dust-pan, and provided near its margin with a number of eyeletholes. In the top of the walls of thedustpan compartment are a number of pins indicated by O; and O" in Fig. 4 and O in Fig. 3corresponding in position to the eyeletholes, and when the dust-pan is ms \pass through the eyelet-holes and. hold the leather flange in position. In the baseboard A C of the bellows chamber are also a number of holes-shown as small circles near upper margin and on sides in Fig. a+-which correspond in position to these pins, and when 'the bellows chamber is lowered into closed position the pins enter the holes and the base of the chamber rests firmly on the v leather flange holding it securely in. position, and in combination with the dust-pan air chamber, the pan forming the air chamber and C forming the top this baseboard forms the sides and bottom of the sides and bottom of .the thexbase of the bellows A of the air' chamber.

The port-holes Q and Q of the inhaling valves of the bellows, Figs. 3 and 4:, open into the air chamber thus formed, and to protect the bellows from the dust drawn into this chamber by the exhausting of the air therefrom through the medium of the bellows I employ a dust-screen mounted on a frame Q", Fig. 4. This frame and screen,

which may be of any desired size, ispreferably slidably mounted on the lower face of the bellows base-so that it may be easily removed. The screen may be similarly mounted on a removable frame fitted into the top of the dust-pan if desired but prefelrl'ably it is mounted on the bellows base as s own.

downward pressure that holds The leather flange attached to the'top of the dust-pan and held securely against the walls of the compartment by the base of the bellows chamber, allows more or less free movement of the pan within the compartment, but it is desirable that relative horizontal movement between the pan and frame be prevented so that the nozzle may move promptly with the machine as it travels rapidly back and forth over the floor; To this end a pair of brackets P, Fig. 3, is at- .tached to the rear wall L-and on the rear end of the pan M, and forming an integral part thereof, are two twin hangers or brackets -P each having a V-shaped notch on the lower side adapted to fit over the upturned part of the brackets P attached to the wall when the .pan is lowered into the compartment. This connection permits a rocking-motion of the pan independent of the 'body'of the machine and allowsverti cal movement of the nozzle so that it may adjust itself to the thickness of the rug or carpet over which it travels. It will not, however permit of any backward or forward movement of the nozzle and pan independently of the machine and therefore insures the prompt movement of the nozzle in unison with the backward and orward movement of the machine. v

To insure anair-tight connection between the leather flange attached to the top of the dust-pan and the bellows base and walls of the compartment, a lock is provided on the. front end of the machine, an enlarged detail of which is shown in Fig. 6. A U

the front wall. A-bolt' S passes through the two arms of the bracket and has an expan--.

sion spring 'I- mounted thereonbetween the arms. A pin or collar is fixed to the bolt below the .spring so thatwhen the bolt is pulled upward by means of -the knob S the spring will be compressed. The'bolt is free to turn, and near the upper end 1s a pin -X which normally is just below the top surface of the bellows chamber when it is in position. In the middle of the front endof the bellows chamber and registering w th this bolt is a slot' Y. See Figs. 3 and 4.

When closing down the bellows chamber the pin X is turned parallel with the slot, and when the chamber has been brought down to position, the bolt S is pulled upward against the spring until the pin X .is above the surface of the roof of the chamber and then turned until the pin is at right angles to the slot,.when it is allowed to rest on the roof of the'chamber, the spring exerting a the base of the chamber firmly in position against the leather flange of the dust-pan, A slot Z in the leather flange fits around the bolt S when the dust-pan is put in position.

From the foregoing description it will be shaped bracket R is secured to the inside of Lisa seen that owing to the novel construction and manner of mounting the one-piece dustpan and nozzle the danger of leak between these two important members is entirely eliminated; the yielding connection with the body permits the use of wheels under the main body; and to empty the machine of dust and dirtit is only necessary to turn the knob S one-fourth around, swing thebellows chamber back on its hinges and lift out the dust-laden one-piece pail and nozzle, leaving the machine all the while standing in its natural position on the floor.

The details of construction as herein shown and described constitute what seem to be the best and most practical means of arriving at the ends aimed at, but some of these details could be changed without in the least altering the fundamental novel features of the invention and I therefore do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the exact details herein shown.

I claim 1. Ina vacuum carpet cleaner, a supporting frame-work mounted on wheels in combination with a one-piece nozzle and dustpan havin a yielding detachable connection with the Frame-work, a vacuum pump, and an air-chamber having a dust-screen between the nozzle and the inhaling valves of the pump.

2. In a vacuum carpet cleaner, a suitable frame-work in combinationwith a one-piece nozzle and dust-pan having a detachable air-tight connection with the frame-Work, an air pump hinged to the frame and provided with a base with which the dust-pan Copies of this patent may be obtained for 'chine,and an air chamber and means for exhausting the air from same. I

4. In a vacuum carpet cleaner, a suitable frame-work in combination with a one-piece detachable dust-pan and nozzle, an air pump hinged to the frame andfprovided with a base with which the dust-pan is hermetically connected when the pump is in operative position, said base and pan' thus forming an air chamber, said base being adapted to swing back allowing the free removal of the dust-pan and nozzle from-the machine.

5. In' a vacuum cleaner, the combination of a support,'a combined dust-pan and nozzle carried' thereby, means for yieldingly connecting said pan and nozzle to the support to permit adjusting movements of the nozzle, and an air pump hinged on the support and adapted when in operative position to be hermetically connected with the dustp WILLIAM H. HALL.

Witnesses:

v WILLIAM W. VVATERs,

, CHAS. J. HANCOCK.

five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner 0: Patents, Washington, D. C. 

